We are a pretty sensitive bunch in this house with my husband and youngest two being eczema sufferers and psoriasis causing regular problems for me.

Over the years I have found plentiful products that deal with sensitive skin but not so much in the realms of haircare.

I found this particularly hard with the boys as I have always been very careful to keep their baths product free so when it comes to hair washing it always has to be done before they get in the bath which they hate and just adds extra time and stress to bath time.

We were asked by the Scandinavian company Olsson to try out their haircare range that has been formulated especially for sensitive skin.

Their products have been geared towards allergy and asthma sufferers but would be suitable for the whole family to use.

All additives, perfumes and parabens have been avoided, leaving a haircare range that would cover a huge range of allergies and sensitivities.

It is a complete collection that covers cleansing, conditioning and styling and offers shampoos, conditioners, mouses, hairspray and styling wax.

I am always a little apprehensive about trying new things on the children but given they all have the seal of approval from Allergy UK it put my mind at rest and was happy for us all to see how they stood up to the test.

The volume shampoo left us all with squeaky clean hair and I didn’t miss the fact it wasn’t scented like I thought I would be.

It caused no irritation to the boys scalp or their skin even though the suds were I the bath with them for a good while.

The wash off conditioner was a great addition to our haircare routine and the addition of aloe vera and B5 left all our hair really soft and conditioned.

Number three has very unruly, long hair that always need a little extra TLC so the spray in conditioner was easily combed though and didn’t leave any sticky residue like a lot of leave in conditioners can.

The styling products were left down to my to try and first up was the spray, lift and hold mousse. Instead of spraying into your hand and applying to your hair it is sprayed directly onto the roots.

It was a little watery for my liking but still gave me good hold and was easy to blow dry once on.

With my flyaway hair a good hairspray is an everyday essential for me and Olsson have created a medium hold hairspray that didn’t sting my scalp like many hairspray a can and controlled my straggly hairs perfectly all day.

I found the whole of Olsson’s range perfect for the whole family. No irritations and perfectly cleansed and styled hair for us all!

*we were given these products for the purpose of this review and they are all my own, honest opinions.

All any mother wants is the guarantee that when her precious little bundle arrives she will be able to keep them safe, healthy and happy.

We all go out of our way to give our babies the best start in life that we possibly can…but what if this taken out of our hands and problems arise.

When I had number four as many of you will know we had a really tough journey after his was diagnosed with multiple food allergies.

I had never really considered what a huge impact this would have on us and it took months of hospital visits and teams of wonderful staff that managed to get this issues under control so that we could go be safe I the knowledge that we could bring up our son so that he would grow and nourish like any other child.

I was lucky enough to manage to breastfed for two years by excluding all allergiens from my diet, but as he got older his diet was so limited that he struggled with weight gain and up until the age of four he was prescribed a formula milk that was suitable for him.

Along with this and up to the present time we also get safe bread and pasta for him that have been a huge help as they are so costly to buy and the bread alone that is only available online at the cost on nearly £5 for one small loaf.

Sadly I have just heard that the Clinical Commissioning Group for the borough of Croydon are now going to stop providing infant formulas and gluten free products on prescription.

Can you imagine having a newborn baby that needs feeding and having to find the money to pay sometimes as much as £45 for one small tin of formula.

With an average of two tins being used per week I would struggle to find many families that would be able to find upwards of £360 a month to feed one baby, infact this amount would probably equate to what most families would spend on a food shop for their entire family.

I fully understand that the NHS is under extreme pressure and cuts and changes need to be made so that this fantastic service can be kept for us, but taking food from the mouths of babes﻿ is a step to far and will have serious implications for so many families in this borough.

If this affects you in any way or you feel this is unjust then please feel free to sign this petition ‘here’.

Saturday nights should be about rubbish food and easy watching TV with the family.

With number four’s allergies the biggest no no is pizza so instead of ordering a big greasy takeaway we love to get the kids involved and make our own pizzas so that number four doesn’t get to miss out on the fun.

This allergy friendly pizza crust recipe is fine for the whole family but to be honest the others prefer a normal base.

We let the children chose which topping they like and let them get on and get creative.

Here is my pizza crust recipe if you fancy giving it a go:

Allergy Friendly Pizza Crust

450g Wheat Free Flour

3/4tsp Xanthan Gum

1 tsp Salt

1/2tsp Baking Powder

1tsp Sugar

1tbsp Yeast

360ml Warm Water

1tbsp Olive Oil

Preheat the oven to 180C 160CFan or gas Mark 5.

Combine half the water with the yeast and leave for about five minutes. Add the sugar after the first few minutes.

In another bowl add the flour and baking powder and mix well.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the yeast mixture, oil and the rest of the water. Stir well with a wooden spoon.

Take the dough and place onto a floured surface and form your pizza base. Place into a lightly greased tray and cook for around 30mins.

Remove from the oven and cover with a tomato sauce base and your favourite ingredients.

Place back into the oven and cook for another 20 mins.

We had a selection of cheese, ham, pepperoni, sweetcorn, olives and peppers.

You would have thought that by child number four I should be hardened to that ‘first day’. As today proved I’m clearly not!

It was number four’s first day at nursery and all of those mixed emotions came flooding through just as they had with the others, but with a few more thrown in.

Number four has without doubt been my most challanging child. He is massively strong willed, extremely boisterous and is hugely outgoing.

This has driven me to the edge over the past three years yet I wouldn’t have him any other way. I just worry now how his character is going to go down in a nursery environment. Play areas and toddler groups have always been a challange for us and I would be on guard the whole time. In a large nursery with lots of children I am worried he will realise he has a bit to much free reign as there are plenty more children that need to have an eye kept on them.

There is also the worry that I’m not there to watch what he is eating and as he has not reached a level yet where he understands his allergies I am in a real panic that I am going to be getting ‘that’ phone call!

The upside to him getting some much needed structure to his day is that I get to have a few hours on my own with number five. He is such a placid child that has really been a little pushed into the background being the last in a long line of little ones. It’s his time now and I am going to make the most of trips to the park, toddler sessions and cuddles on the sofa with my little baby for those precious few hours of the day.

With the colder weather and darker nights drawing in a firm family favourite has appeared back on our menu…cottage pie goes down well with all of the children and this recipe makes it safe for number four too.

Allergy Free Cottage Pie

1kg Minced Beef

2 Chopped Onions

3 Sliced Carrots

2 Cloves Chopped Garlic

3 tbsp Wheat Free Flour

1 tbsp Tomato Puree

850ml Wheat Free Beef Stock

Sprigs Of Thyme

1 1/2kg Chopped Potatoes

220ml Oat Milk

25g Dairy Free Margarine

Heat a little oil in a large pan and brown the mince. Next add the vegetables and cook for around twenty minutes. Add the puree, flour and garlic and cook for another few minutes. Add the stock and herbs and cook uncovered for about 45 minutes.

Place the potatoes into a pan of boiling water and cook until soft. Once ready drain and mash together with the milk and margarine.

Lastly spoon the meat into a large ovenproof dish and spoon the mash potato into the top. Score all over with a fork and cook for 30 minutes in the oven at Gas Mark 7, 220C/200 Fan.

Once bubbling and golden it will be ready to serve.

There is always a big debate in this house as to how it is served. My favourite is fresh green vegetables and the the others favour baked beans. What is your favourite accompaniment?